Flexible joint



Jan. 12 ,192`6,`

H. P. M/cDoNALm FLEXIBLE JOINT Filed June 26, 1920 2 Sheen-Sheet l VENToR. /y da.. im ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 12 1926.

. H; P. MACDONALD FLEXIBLE JOINT EN TOR. n.5( mcy/a@ A TTORNEYS.

j the adjacentr endsof the shafts i 45 i a.v spider and its shaft Paesane. 1926;?

'UNITI-:D STATES P. MACDONALD, F MONTCLAIB, NEW

PATENT opl-"1GB, 1

.ERSEY, ASSIGNOB, 'BY HESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO SPICEB MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, OF SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JEBSEY, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA. i 1

FLEXIBLE JOINT. r

Alplication med :une 26, 19202 serial No. 391,888.

To all 'whom 'z't mag/ concern: j

Be it known that I, HARRY P. MACDONALD,

a citizen of-the United States, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State 5 of NewfJersey, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Flexible Joints, of which the fbllowing is a specification.

This invention relates to flexibley joints for torque transmission assemblies, such as 1n automoblles, `and it used, for example,

has particular reference to joints in which the flexible elements are made of leather,

rubberized fabric `and the like, usually'in the form of discs.

The generalipractice with respect to joints of this character is to provide spiders'for to be joined one or more and to interpose therebetween flexible discs of yielding'material .such as above indicated, which are secured to thev feet of the respective spiders `by means of bolts which are passed through holes formed in the spider feet-and in the discs.

The 'resence of .holes in the discs tends tov 25 -war weakness and under service conditions it is almost invariable that the discs fail at the bolt holes. It is the primary object of my invention to overcome this diflicultyv in a joint in which the flexible elements will `be securely gripped and the life of the joint, considered as a whole, greatly extended.v e

More specifically considered, it is an ob ject of my invention to provide a simple and effective means for exteriorly clamping the flexible elements to their respective spiders to avoid the weakening of the material b the cutting of holes therein.

The oregoing, together with such other 40 objects as may hereinafter appear, Iobtain by means of a construction, the preferred embodiments of which I have illustrated. in the accompanying drawing, wherein-E Fig. 1 is a fragmentar fbrming part of a vjoint. embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 1s a section taken on the line 2 2 .of Fig. 1,; 3 is an end elevation of the clamping means shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an elevation ofva jomt embodying a modification `of my invention; Fig. 5 is a section on the line-5 5 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a section on the line ('r-fof Fig. 5. f v

n, nowto the drawings, but one of to each other as from shifting laterally side elevation4 ofv the two spiders 7 of the joint is shown. Such spiders may be of any preferred type and are secured to the endsV of the respectiwe shafts in any desired manner.. The flexib e elements are .indicated atj 8, and bodiinent of my invention, 'they take the form of annular discs, preferably composed of rubberized fabric asfafyielding material.

in this em- A shown, the spiders have three feet 9, it`

being understoo thatthe spiders are offset so that their feet extend at 60 with respect art. The vflexible elements are secured to the respective spider feety by means of a clamping device indicated as la whole by the reference letter A.

kEach clamping device consists of a forked or --yoke member 10 which has a relatively broadseat 11 adapted to take against a similar seat l2 on the spider feet, the clamp and spider foot being aperture'dV for the reception of a stud or l I b means of which the clamp may be detachably secured yto the spider. bearing certain of the strains.`

The flexible discs fit' between the arms of.

the yokeand washers or plates 14 are interposed between' the discs, such washers being roughened, as for example, by corrugating or beadin the same, as indicated at 15, and a similar 16 is usedas the outside holding member,

such plate, however, being of much stouterv construction than the intermediate washers. The arms of the yoke are given an irregular shape in cross section, such as indicated in Fig. 3, and the ends of the washers 1% and 16 are slightly forked to partially fit the yoke arms and thereby `hold. the washers out of place.

In assembling the clamps and discs, the yokes are to the follower plates 16 1n an amount sufficient to secure the desired pressure and grip on the discs, after which the end portions 17 of the yoke arms are bent over as indicated in Fig. held in the desiredA position and under the vpredetermined pressure. turned over ends 17 and the follower plate is well understood in this similar holding melnber 13.,

y shaped follower plate positioned and pressure is applied` If desired, the

The extended surfaces serve to relieve the stud of 1, whereby the parts are f i It 4will seen that this arrangement roughened, or

scribed above.

case,

comprises a hub -v its ed the hub.

the full strength ofthe iiexible element is retained and at the same time an effective joint is secured as it will be clear that the roughened or beaded surfaces engaging 'the 5 discs will prevent circumferential creeping.

The connecting and clamping means A eX- ternally embraces the disc, and its clamping portions that engage, the opposite faces of the disc are externally secured and held 1o. against it by means of the yoke arms.. The

connection is rendered very effective for transmission of torque by the latei'al engagement between clamping means and discs, especially kwhen the clamping means are when gripping pressure is the yielding discs, as de- It will also be seen that any desired degree of flexibility may be obtained by increasing or preimposed on decreasing the Width of i 2o .the Washer members and yoke ariiis.- The arrangement is-also applicable to discs of any Width within practical limits, the strength of the follower plates 16 being increased or diminished as required. In this the transverse or radial connement ofthe disc material by the engagement of the connecting means shown in Figs. 1-5 with the edges of the discs is also particu- `1arly advantageous, since it tends to prevent 30 'spreading apart ofthe cords under the lateral pressure on the discs.

Referring now to the construction shown i in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, it will be seen that,` in this the complete spider structure portion 7 rovidedwith a shoulder or ange 19 just s ort of its outer end, and a se arate spider member formed out of a plate ,preferably in the form of a stamping, having three feet and provided at instance,

B is provided with an aperture, correspondingly atted This constructionis designed to y relieve the-bolts 21 whichserve to detachw bly secure the late to the hub from at least aportion of t e torquestrains. It will be seen that the feet, by reason ceive the base portion 10 whichI otherwise are of the construction .through the iianges 20 s with reinforcing ribs or anges' 20. T e end ofthe hub portion 7 is flatted l ron two sides as indicated at 22, and the plate,

as at 23, to fit over the end of` l of the ianges 20, are of channel-.like form adapted to reof the clamps A',

hereinbefore described. Bolts 24 passing serve to detachably secure the clamping yokes to the spider feet. This construction insures a rigid connection for the reason that the flanges 20 may be drawn into tight engagement with the clamp When the nuts of the bolts 24 ai'e tightly drawn up. i

This arrangement is simple, economical, and easy`to assemble or take apart. The

bolts 24 are also relieved of a greater portion of the strains,-as are the studs 13 of the first construction.

The general construction is such as to iiiake the device peculiarly applicable to cord discs which are of so, great a strength that the rubber does not hold theI cords together sufficiently to develop the .full strength of the latter. The claiiips by their engagement over the full width of the discs engage all of the vcords so that the full strength is availed of.

It will, of course, be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction shown and described, and that the desired results may be accomplished by other and crpiivalent means comino within the siirit o my invention as defined herein an set forth in the claiins.- The terni spider, as

found in the claims, is also to be understood as being used in a broad sense.

1. In a torque transmitting joint, the combination of a spider, a iexible 4unit compris.

ing a flexible member and clam means at tached thereto independently o the spider, and means for connecting the clamp Ameans to the spider for the transmission of torque extending approximately parallel the line of torque. I j

2. In a torque transmitting joint, the combination of a` spider having a projection extending laterally' beyond a face thereof, a lexiblemember, a connecting member attached thereto independently of the spider,

and means passing through said projection and said connecting member to seeurethe latter to the spider. A

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

HARRY P. MACDONALD. 

